Primary Navigation

Hockey Basics for Beginners

Allow us to break the ice…

Crazy Pour prides itself on being a bar where fans of all sports can gather and cheer on their favorite team. As fall turns into winter, we start to get more hockey fans in the door, but we want to make sure even beginners feel comfortable stopping in and cheering on their team. If you’re new to hockey, here are a few basics to know about the game.

Game Time

A hockey game is 60-minutes long and divided up into three 20 minute periods. If the game is tied at the end of 60 minutes of playing, they’ll go into a five minute overtime period that is sudden death. That means whichever team scores first wins, no matter how much time is left in that five minutes.

Players

At any point in the game, there will be six players out on the ice. This will include one goalie and five skaters that will rotate shifts on the ice during the game. These shifts can last anywhere from 30 seconds to two minutes (or more). The positions of these players include three forwards (a left wing, right wing, and center), and then two defensemen.

The Season

Hockey season starts in the fall, usually early October, and the regular season ends in April. After regular season games are finished, the Stanley Cup playoffs will begin, and the Cup Finals will follow in late May or early June.

Divisions

In the 1998-99 season, the NHL adopted a two conference format, with three divisions in each. This is broken down into the Eastern Conference, which includes the Northeast, Southeast, and Atlantic divisions, and the Western Conference includes the Central, Northwest, and Pacific divisions. The top eight teams in each conference move onto the playoffs, with each division winners seeded first through third. The teams are then paired up within their conference, and the top seeds will start off playing the bottom seeds.

Hockey is a great sport with so many different teams to cheer on, although we’re partial to the Chicago Blackhawks. Crazy Pour is the go-to sports bar for fans from all over, even the beginners, so the next time you’re looking to catch a game, make sure you stop in! Check out our current specials here or give us a call at 630.758.0099.

Categories

Meta

About Crazy Pour

Crazy Pour is the best upscale sports bar in Chicago to watch your favorite sports live. We’re proud to serve as an Official Blackhawks Bar offering high-definition viewings of every sporting event from football and basketball to UFC and boxing. We specialize in providing your tingling tastebuds with a various selection of craft beer and fine liquor. Kick back in our outdoor patios and lounge areas or enjoy our Private Party Rooms, DJs, Jukeboxes, pool tables, PPV events, NFL tickets, video gaming, and OTB. There’s always something to do for everyone at Crazy Pour.